songofvalourfandomcom-20200213-history
Kaerelia
The Kingdom of Kaerelia is a relatively new kingdom located in the north-eastern part of Valor. Brian Hanlon led a resistance against the High King Joseph Allen a hundred years ago and years after won the war, creating the Kingdom of Kaerelia. History: Resistance and rebellion Approximately hundred years ago, the Great Resistance began. The oppressed inhabitants of Kaerelia openly showed their discontent in the appointed foreign King and by extent the High King himself. They demanded equal rights, representation and above all a local leader of their own choosing. In the beginning, King Joseph seemed to comply with the complaints, but soon he moved a large army from the east into the Kingdom and rounded up the 'leaders' of this 'rebellion' and executed them on the spot. Hundreds of protesters also were either killed or imprisoned. This event sparked the great uprising and the freeing of the slaves, which led to the actual rebellion soon afterwards. A year after the Massacre of Sitmont, the Chieftains of Kaerelia declared a King of their own, Brian Hanlon, to lead them to freedom. Their troops were less disciplined, less numbered and had far worse equipment than the armies of their overlord. Through smart tactics, guerrilla warfare and many tactical and strategic victories they managed to get a large foothold in the Kingdom, collecting additional help along the way, including the mages who proved vital to the war effort in the end. They even managed to kill the High King's reckless son and heir in one of the processes. Three years after the start of the rebellion, they finally managed to reach the gates of the capital. With help of the mages, Brian and a small band managed to infiltrate the castle and kill the local King. By winning the capital, all the other troops within the city surrendered or switched sides. Culture and society The people of Kaerelia are very proud of their country and very protective over their freedom. Many people have heard the stories from their parents or grandparents who were alive during the rebellion and how much blood was spilled, and how they should not squander the future they got for them. Furthermore Kaerelians do not like any sort of tight control on their life, therefore law enforcement is almost non-existent. Communities are usually expected to deal with criminals themselves, though in the case of major crimes such as murder and treason they get punished by the local noble or in extreme cases by the monarch themself. Society Kaerelians are very communal and everyone within a local community refers to each other as brother or sister. Local laws are usually made by a local community council, though they are still subject to any law made by the local lord or the monarch, though these are few. Despite being hostile to governmental invervention in their lives, most Kaerelians have proudly served in the army at some point or contributed in some other way to the good of the kingdom. Food Kaerelian cuisine is very simple, stemming from the centuries of occupation and few food supplies they had. Despite having access to much more ingredients now, most Kaerelians prefer simple foods. Kaerelian beef steak, scrambled eggs and bread with tea. Discrimination Freedom is very important to 'native' Kaerelians, but this does not mean by any means that everyone is free. Traitors and murderers are put in prison for life if not executed. Criminals in general are looked down upon, with even someone stealing a bread shunned by the community. Discrimination is also very ingrained in Kaerelian culture, though no one would admit they are to a degree racist. Anyone from Ostland is treated with great suspicion. Murder rates against people from Ostland higher than any other group. Dwarves also have fewer rights, though they are not treated that badly compared to some other groups. Geography Kaerelia has a temperate climate, which goes for most of the Valor continent. Together with the continent it is located in the northern hemisphere. To the north it appears to become colder with large mountains and tundra located there. The south is a lot more warmer with a lot of forests located there. The capital of Sitmont itself sits near the east coast sitting along the Great River which continues on all the way to the south-western part of the continent. Government The government of Kaerelia has always been decentralised, although it has become a lot more centralised due to the Ostlander influences. The King is the highest authority in the country, largely commanding the army and deciding foreign policy. But that is largely where the sole power of the King stops. Parliament is made up of two Houses, one compromised of only nobles, and the other compromised of only commoners, which work together to make domestic legislation. The King has little say here, though he gets to decide which noble sits in the Upper House. But even Parliament hasn't gotten a lot of power, since most laws are made locally. The Kingdom is divided up into approximately 25 earldoms which are each led by an earl. Due to recent events a title between King and earl is created, Duke, which of only 2 exist at this point. Both Dukes have their own county and have two earls sworn to them. Religion In theory Kaerelia is one of the few realms where freedom of religion is entrenched in the law, in practice this freedom does not hold fast. The Church of Valor, or simply referred to as the Church, has considerable influence in many nations in Valor, including Kaerelia. Their influence in the latter however is very subject to the local lord and how religious it is.